


Day 28- Sensory

by Broken_Clover



Series: Goretober 2019 [24]
Category: Guilty Gear
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen, Politics, Sensory Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-06 06:36:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21222182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broken_Clover/pseuds/Broken_Clover
Summary: It was a more humane option, from a twisted point of view.





	Day 28- Sensory

Ky Kiske walked into Zepp’s main assembly building with a sense of grim apprehension. He knew full well that the tasks of his job weren’t always pleasant ones, but knowing didn’t necessarily make it any easier. All he could do was try and get through them as quickly as possible.

He followed the arrow signs until they directed him to the door of the debate room. To his surprise, it wasn’t already full when he opened the door. Instead, there was only one massive man, idling nearby one of the tables.

“Oh, Potemkin. Gabriel mentioned you’d be here.”

The man turned at the sound of his voice, and offered a cordial nod. “Good morning, your majesty. I was not expecting you’d be here so early.”

Puzzled, Ky pulled a watch from his pocket, staring at it intently until the realization hit him. “Ahh. I forgot that Zepp doesn’t abide by the standard time zones. I didn’t even realize I was.” He put the object away. “And there’s no need for the title. ‘Ky’ is just fine.”

“Hopefully, the rest of the delegates should be arriving within the next hour. Gabriel would like to have this issue sorted out as quickly as possible.” Potemkin said. “I don’t doubt that you feel the same way.”

“I hope we can all come to an agreement. It would be inhumane and a waste of resources to make this drag out.”

“Inhumane?”

“Inhumane.” Ky repeated. “I don’t discard my morality when it comes to criminals, even ones of _his_ caliber.”

“That’s an interesting mindset, your majesty.”

The king stiffened up at the new voice, turning towards it. President Gabriel entered the room, arms folded behind his back.

“Mister president.” Ky held a hand out. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for being willing to host the meeting here.”

Gabriel shook his hand. “The pleasure is all mine. It’s no trouble at all. I’m sure Potemkin has said, I’m eager to be through with this.”

“Has he been especially troublesome? Any escape attempts?”

“No, we’ve managed to keep him on lockdown and under close watch. I’ll admit, I’m rather proud of this specialized facility. He’s been entirely pacified his entire stay.”

Ky laced his fingers together. “If I may ask, where do you have him held? Will you be bringing him out for the debate?”

“I’m afraid that would be an unwise decision.” Gabriel shook his head. “We plan to keep Bedman under strict lock and key until the time comes to enact whatever sentence we’ve decided upon.”

He wasn’t sure if he liked that, but Ky decided that there was a logic to it. Zepp was responsible for his detention, but they hadn’t been allowed to determine a final verdict. It was agreed upon for an international criminal with no known country of origin that a discussion would be held to meet a mutual agreement for his sentencing. It would make sense that they would want to be careful when it came to security. Making any sort of decision would be pointless if he’d managed to escape before it could be carried out.

“Would it be possible for me to see him before the hearing? I’m interested in this 'specialized facility' of yours.”

Gabriel stroked his mustache. “If anyone else asked me that, I would have immediately said no. But I respect you. It seems we still have a bit of time, I don’t think there would be any harm. The facility is next door, follow me.”

++++++

Illyria was cutting-edge in most fields, but Zepp was something else entirely. They used completely different forms of technology, making it difficult to tell just how advanced and elaborate their facilities were in comparison. The locks and lights were electric, and Ky was thankful for Gabriel’s presence, because he was unsure if he’d have been able to decipher the strange locks on his own. At least the numerous doors helped give off the impression of the facility being secure.

“Do you work here, Potemkin?”

“Sometimes.” The man at his side spoke. “I generally stick to areas of defense and diplomacy, but I assist in scientific developments where I can.”

“Is that what this is, then? A research laboratory?” Ky asked. “This doesn’t seem much like a prison.”

“It is.” Gabriel said. “It’s special. Suited for especially dangerous criminals. Each cell is suitably tailored to its occupant. Zepp doesn’t support capital punishment. We’re capable of handling some of the most dangerous people on the planet safely, securely, and humanely.”

Ky could only wonder what sorts of other people must have been hidden away behind the numerous doors. He didn’t have much time to think about it, though. They approached a pane of glass in the wall, and Gabriel held up a hand, signaling for them to stop.

“Here we are. Cell 6H. What do you think, your majesty? How does it hold up to Illyria?”

It couldn’t be a cell, Ky though to himself. That couldn’t be right. He knew prison cells weren’t exactly spacious, but it had to be only half the size, if he was being generous. There was barely enough space for the single fixture that sat in it.

Compared to the sleek, modern appearance of the building, the chair looked positively medieval. It was an ugly, heavy-looking thing outfitted with shackles and straps. Ky could see Bedman tied down into it, held immobile up to his throat. He’d been blindfolded as well, and with a gag around his mouth. A large pair of headphones were firmly clamped over his ears, and a peculiar clear tube descended from a small hole in the ceiling, eventually sliding down and vanishing into the folds of his shirt. The room was pure white aside from that, though Ky could tell it meant nothing. The prisoner couldn’t even see past the mask as he was forced to face the far wall. It was difficult to tell if he was even conscious.

“W-what on earth...is this?”

“We took into account the dossier notes sent in by King Leo.” Potemkin didn’t seem to notice the horror in his voice. “While his abilities are still largely undocumented, we know that it requires some degree of focus. The headphones issue irregular noises at various decibels and frequencies to be as disruptive as possible.”

“_Every_ aspect has been designed to be as disruptive as possible, without causing any physical harm.” Gabriel spoke up. “The immobility and sensory deprivation make focus nearly impossible. Hence, there’s no concern for him plotting an escape route. It’s an effective, but humane method.”

His throat suddenly felt dry. Ky swallowed. “What’s the tube for?”

“Well, humans need to eat, of course. We initially planned to use the peripheral method, but most of the veins in his arms were too fragile to be used. Besides, the superior vena cava is more suitable for long-term usage.”

“Long-term…?” Ky slowly turned to the soldier. “How frequently is he allowed outside of that room?”

Gabriel shook his head. “To ensure safety and security, he’s been confined to the cell ever since he was transferred here.”

“You haven’t even removed the blindfold?”

“That is correct, your majesty.”

“That’s inhumane!”

“It’s a precautionary measure, your majesty. You know the sorts of things this child is capable of.”

Ky couldn’t find a reply to that. Gabriel wasn’t wrong. There was a reason he had asked Zepp to handle the matter in the first place. But this...this felt wrong, too. What could one do in such a state? What was it like, being trapped in darkness, with nothing to touch or taste or smell and nothing but blaring alarms and shrill noises to listen to?

“Oh dear, look at the time.” Gabriel looked at his watch and gestured to his two companions. “The others will be arriving soon. Your majesty, would you be willing to cut this visit short?”

Ky forced himself to look away from the window, taking a shuddery breath. He tried to rationalize it to himself- he’d killed people, and that was not a crime that could go unpunished. But no matter how many times and ways he tried to explain and justify, it couldn’t get rid of the pit of unease in his stomach.


End file.
